This has been the year of the phrase "yes I can". I'm two weeks away from my first Ironman event and I've swam, ran, and biked enough miles the past 4 months to get me ready. Yes I can finish this event, but holy crap what an investment in time of my life.
I'm looking back and wondering if I trained too much. Did I miss something that I was supposed to do or be a part of? Did I miss any opportunities to advance my career. Did I miss any opportunities with my family? The benefit of this type of goal is that I have been surrounded by a great family that has supported my effort to train. Although training was not always on everyone's schedule, this definitely would not be a possible goal without a supportive family.
My wife and kids have watched me log over 3,000 training miles and in that time I have been a part several birthday parties, several high school and college graduations, family reunions, and I even managed a few dates with my wife (yes, there should have been more). They have seen me sleep deprived, exhausted, crabby, elated, rested, happy, and sometimes all of these in the same day. IM training can make a person crazy if you take it too far, but now I have thoughts if I have taken it far enough.
Thoughts do enter my mind about not being able to make the cut off time in any of the three events to complete the full IM. Can I swim 2.4 miles with 5,000 of my closest friends in under 2 hours? If I make that, will I be able to complete 112 miles on the bike in under 7 hours. Then to wrap it up, can I complete a marathon and walk across the finish line before midnight to have my time actually count?
Anything can happen on game day. Looking back I see that the journey is what makes this event special. Ironman is not about one day, but about the journey along the way. Where else can you train with a bunch of individuals as crazy as you are to enter this event. Where else can you find training partners with illnesses and health issues that make any sniffle or sickness of your own insignificant.
Looking back I wouldn't change anything. I've trained with great friends and balanced training with family time. Yes I can and yes I will finish this event!
